Before we get underway: I'm sorry, we don't have enough headline space to write 'KDE Releases Development Platform, Applications and Plasma Workspaces 4.6.0'. Then again, do any non-anal people every refer to it that way? No? I thought so. In any case, there's a new KDE version out with lots of new features, bug fixes, and performance enhancements.

Xine still works fine as a backend for phonon. I couldn't get the GStreamer backend to play anything but MP3, and I couldn't get the VLC backend to not crash, so I personally still using the xine-backend. It works fine.

Xine still works fine as a backend for phonon. I couldn't get the GStreamer backend to play anything but MP3, and I couldn't get the VLC backend to not crash, so I personally still using the xine-backend. It works fine.

I'm running Arch Linux right now, and I am still in the process of downloading the update to KDE 4.6, so the version that I am running right now is still 4.5.5. There are two backends for Phonon installed, gstreamer or VLC. Either one works absolutely fine.

I have gstreamer selected as the first preference right now. I chose that because it gives best commonality with GNOME/GTK applications. I can run either a GNOME/GTK application, or a KDE/Phonon application, and I do not have to load any new audio libraries just for that application.

everyone has it's own experience. i have archlinux+kde 4.5.5, well, surprise surprise, gstreamer works for some sounds/file formats but in general does not, i didnt take the time to investigate because i just can't be bothered fixing every little thing :p
xine seems fine